Album Review: Star One - Victims of the Modern Age

Star One: Victims of the Modern Age
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

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Well, it's 2010, so that must mean time for another Arjen Lucassen release, right?  I mean, this guy has been cranking out the music lately.  With that, there has to be a bit of burn out and fatigue, right?

I wouldn't be so sure about that.

Don't get me wrong, Arjen's take on prog isn't for everyone.  You have to accept a certain amount of cheese and camp.  His latest release with side project Star One, Victims of the Modern Age is no different.  But it is the willful embracing of camp, coupled with Arjen's unmistakable sound and songwriting prowess that makes it such a delicious trip to take.

Album Review: Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow

Coheed and Cambria: Year of the Black Rainbow
Year: 2010
Click here for the artist's site

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Coheed and Cambria shouldn't be popular.  That is all there is to it.  Music that at times is heavy, progressive rock/metal, then swings wildly to emo-pop.  A vocalist whose upper register touches the clouds.  And most importantly, an intricate (and "out there") science fiction yarn that spans (now) five albums, each of them a concept album in a larger work.  In terms of popularity, these guys should be niche at best.

Yet Year of the Black Rainbow demonstrates admirably just why they are so popular.